Heat-augmented heat exchanger

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a heat exchanger which includes an A-coil through which a heat-exchange medium (refrigerant) is circulated between an inlet and an outlet thereof, a compressor in fluid communication with the outlet for compressing a vapor phase of the heat-exchange medium, and means for generating heat beyond and as an augment to ambient temperature sufficient to transform the liquid phase of the heat-exchange medium to its vapor phase during the passage of the heat-exchange medium from the inlet to the outlet with substantially total absorption of the heat by the heat-exchange medium for subsequent extraction of the heat from the vapor phase to effect desired heating.

I claim: 
     
       1. A heat exchanger comprising outdoor coil means for circulating therethrough a heat-exchange medium, said outdoor coil means having an inlet and an outlet for respectively receiving and discharging the heat-exchange medium in respective liquid and vapor phases, compressor means in fluid communication with said outlet for compressing the vapor phase of the heat-exchange medium, means for effecting ambient air flow relative to said outdoor coil means at temperatures above a predetermined ambient temperature during the heating phase of said heat exchanger to absorb heat from ambient air, means at said outdoor coil means for generating heat immediately adjacent said outdoor coil means to augment ambient air temperature sufficient to transform the liquid phase of the heat-exchange medium to its vapor phase during the passage of the heat-exchange medium from said inlet to said outlet with substantially total absorption of the heat by the heat-exchange medium during a heat-augmented phase of said heat exchanger at a temperature below said predetermined ambient temperature, and control means for rendering said ambient air flow means inoperative at and below said predetermined ambient temperature and rendering said heat generating means operative at and below said predetermined ambient temperature to generate heat at said outdoor coil means whereby said ambient air flow means is ineffective during the operation of said heat generating means and the heat generated by the latter during the heat-augmented phase of the heat exchanger is substantially totally absorbed by the heat-exchange medium. 
     
     
       2. The heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 including housing means for defining first and second adjacent chambers, said second chamber including upper and lower chamber portions, said coil means being disposed in said upper chamber portion, said heat generating means being disposed in said lower chamber portion, means placing said upper and lower chamber portions in communication with each other, whereby heat generated by said heat generating means reaches said coil means through said communication means, and means placing said lower chamber portion and said first chamber in fluid communication whereby air can pass therethrough under the effect of said ambient air flow means. 
     
     
       3. The heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 including housing means for defining first and second adjacent chambers, said second chamber including upper and lower chamber portions, said coil means being disposed in said upper chamber portion, said heat generating means being disposed in said lower chamber portion, means placing said upper and lower chamber portions in communication with each other, whereby heat generated by said heat generating means reaches said coil means through said communication means, means placing said lower chamber portion and said first chamber in fluid communication whereby air can pass therethrough under the effect of said ambient air flow means, and said ambient air flow effecting means is a fan disposed in said lower chamber portion. 
     
     
       4. The heat exchanger as defined in claim 2 wherein said heat generating means is disposed generally in the area of said communication means between said upper and lower chamber portions. 
     
     
       5. The heat exchanger as defined in claim 4 including a partition setting off said upper and lower chamber portions, said communication means between said upper and lower chamber portions being an opening, said coil means being disposed generally above said partition, and said heat generating means being disposed generally in the area of said opening. 
     
     
       6. The heat exchanger as defined in claim 5 wherein said coil means is an "A-coil." 
     
     
       7. The heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 including means for rendering said heat generating means inoperative at temperatures above said predetermined ambient temperature, and means for reversing the operation of said compressor means whereby the heat-exchange medium is circulated through said coil means from said outlet to said inlet and is transformed from the vapor phase to the liquid phase thereof through the absorption of heat from ambient air. 
     
     
       8. The heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 including housing means for defining first and second adjacent chambers, said second chamber including upper and lower chamber portions, and said coil means being disposed in said upper chamber portion. 
     
     
       9. The heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 including housing means for defining first and second adjacent chambers, said second chamber including upper and lower chamber portions, said coil means being disposed in said upper chamber portion, and said heat generating means being disposed in said lower chamber. 
     
     
       10. The heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 including housing means for defining first and second adjacent chambers, said second chamber including upper and lower chamber portions, said coil means being disposed in said upper chamber portion, said heat generating means being disposed in said lower chamber, and means placing said upper and lower chamber portions in fluid communication with each other whereby heat generated by said heat generating means reaches said coil means through said communication means. 
     
     
       11. The heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 including housing means for defining first and second adjacent chambers, said second chamber including upper and lower chamber portions, said coil means being disposed in said upper chamber portion, said heat generating means being disposed in said lower chamber, and said compressor means being disposed in said first chamber. 
     
     
       12. The heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 including housing means for defining first and second adjacent chambers, said second chamber including upper and lower chamber portions, said coil means being disposed in said upper chamber portion, said heat generating means being disposed in said lower chamber, means placing said upper and lower chamber portions in fluid communication with each other whereby heat generated by said heat generating means reaches said coil means through said communication means, and means placing said lower chamber portion and said first chamber in fluid communication whereby air can pass therethrough under the effect of said ambient air flow means. 
     
     
       13. The heat exchange system as defined in claim 1 wherein said system is devoid of further heat exchange components in parallel relationship to said outdoor coil means. 
     
     
       14. The heat exchange system as defined in claim 1 including means defining first and second chambers separated from each other by an upstanding partition, said compressor being in said first chamber, and said outdoor coil means, heat generating means and ambient air flow means being located in said second chamber. 
     
     
       15. The heat exchange system as defined in claim 1 including means defining first and second chambers separated from each other by an upstanding partition, said compressor being in said first chamber, said outdoor coil means, heat generating means and ambient air flow means being located in said second chamber, and said heat generating means being disposed in a position at which upward hot air convection currents generated by said heat generating means move upwardly along said outdoor coil means so that heat is progressively absorbed therefrom by the heat-exchange medium moving through said outdoor coil means. 
     
     
       16. The heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 wherein said outdoor coil means is an "A-coil" having two upwardly converging side coil portions, and said heat generating means is disposed within an area generally beneath said "A-coil". 
     
     
       17. The heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 wherein said heat generating means is a gas burner. 
     
     
       18. The heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 wherein said outdoor coil means is an "A-coil". 
     
     
       19. The heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 wherein said heat generating means is disposed generally between said outdoor coil means and said ambient air flow effecting means. 
     
     
       20. The heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 wherein said ambient air flow effecting means passes ambient air generally vertically downwardly relative to said outdoor coil means. 
     
     
       21. The heat exchanger as defined in claim 1 wherein said heat generating means is disposed generally between said outdoor coil means and said ambient air flow effecting means, said outdoor coil means being a heat exchange coil, said ambient air flow effecting means being a fan, and said fan being disposed immediately adjacent said heat generating means. 
     
     
       22. A heat exchanger comprising a housing including first and second chambers separated from each other by an upstanding partition, a compressor in said first chamber, a coil, a fan and means for generating heat in said second chamber, said coil having an inlet and and an outlet for respectively receiving and discharging a heat-exchange medium in respective liquid and vapor phases, said compressor being in fluid communication with said outlet for compressing the vapor phase of the heat-exchange medium, said heat generating means being disposed in a position at which upward hot air convection currents generated by said heat generating means move upwardly along said coil so that heat is progressively absorbed therefrom by the heat-exchange medium moving through said coil, said inlet and inlet coil portions of said coil being disposed adjacent said heat generating means whereby relatively cooler heat-exchange medium at said inlet coil portions is first heated by the heat of said heat generating means, means for controlling the operation of said heat generating means and said fan means such that said heat generating means is inoperative except at a predetermined temperature and below, said fan is operative above said predetermined temperature and said fan is inoperative when said heat generating means is inoperative above said predetermined temperature and said fan is inoperative when said heat generating means is inoperative, said fan being disposed to move air in a direction through said coil and into said first chamber when said heat generating means is inoperative, said coil is an "A-coil" having two upwardly converging side coil portions, and said heat generating means is disposed within an area generally beneath said "A-coil". 
     
     
       23. The heat exchanger as defined in claim 22 wherein said heat generating means is a liquid fuel burner. 
     
     
       24. A heat exchange system including an indoor coil and an outdoor coil, said indoor and outdoor coils having respective inlets and outlets for respectively receiving and discharging a heat exchange medium, conduit means placing said indoor and outdoor coils through their inlets and outlets in series fluid communication, compressor means coupled in series with said indoor and outdoor coils through said conduit means for compressing the vapor phase of the heat-exchange medium of said outdoor coil, means at said outdoor coil for generating heat immediately adjacent said outdoor coil to augment ambient temperature sufficient to transform the liquid phase of the heat-exchange medium to its vapor phase during the passage of the heat-exchange medium from said outdoor coil inlet to said outdoor coil outlet with substantially total absorption of the heat by the heat-exchange medium, said outdoor coil and heat generating means being the only exterior heat exchange components of said system, means for effecting ambient air flow through said outdoor coil at temperatures above a first predetermined temperature, and means for rendering said heat generating means operative and said ambient air flow means inoperative at temperatures below said first predetermined temperature. 
     
     
       25. A heat exchange system including an indoor coil and an outdoor coil, said indoor and outdoor coils having respective inlets and outlets for respectively receiving and discharging a heat exchange medium, conduit means placing said indoor and outdoor coils through their inlets and outlets in series fluid communication, compressor means coupled in series with said indoor and outdoor coils through said conduit means for compressing the vapor phase of the heat-exchange medium of said outdoor coil, means at said outdoor coil for generating heat immediately adjacent said outdoor coil to augment ambient temperature sufficient to transform the liquid phase of the heat-exchange medium to its vapor phase during the passage of the heat-exchange medium from said outdoor coil inlet to said outdoor coil outlet with substantially total absorption of the heat by the heat-exchange medium, said outdoor coil and heat generating means being the only exterior heat exchange components of said system, said system is devoid of further heat exchange components in parallel relationship to said outdoor coil, means for effecting ambient air flow through said outdoor coil at temperatures above a first predetermined temperature, and means for rendering said heat generating means operative and said ambient air flow means inoperative at temperatures below said first predetermined temperature. 
     
     
       26. A heat exchange system including an indoor coil and an outdoor coil, said indoor and outdoor coils having respective inlets and outlets for respectively receiving and discharging a heat exchange medium, conduit means placing said indoor and outdoor coils through their inlets and outlets in series fluid communication, compressor means coupled in series with said indoor and outdoor coils through said conduit means for compressing the vapor phase of the heat-exchange medium of said outdoor coil, means at said outdoor coil for generating heat immediately adjacent said outdoor coil to augment ambient temperature sufficient to transform the liquid phase of the heat-exchange medium to its vapor phase during the passage of the heat-exchange medium from said outdoor coil inlet to said outdoor coil outlet with substantially total absorption of the heat by the heat-exchange medium, said outdoor coil and heat generating means being the only exterior heat exchange components of said system, housing means for defining a chamber having upper and lower chamber portions, said outdoor coil being disposed in said upper chamber portion, said heat generating means being disposed below said outdoor coil whereby heat generated by said heat generating means reaches said outdoor coil through upward convection currents, means for effecting ambient air flow through said outdoor coil at temperatures above a first predetermined temperature, and means for rendering said heat generating means operative and said ambient air flow means inoperative at temperatures below said first predetermined temperature. 
     
     
       27. The heat exchange system as defined in claim 26 wherein said ambient air flow effecting means is generally disposed in said lower chamber portion.